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submaleinzona -> RE: Is this a threat? sedition? or just posturing? (10/24/2010 2:08:26 PM)
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Regarding the original post, I agree with those who say it's just posturing. I don't see it as seditious or any kind of serious threat.
As for the "right to revolt," I would say that's decided by a roll of the dice. If you win the revolution, then you had the right to revolt. If you lose, then you didn't have it.
Of course, if one calls for a revolution after losing an election, it begs the question as to how they can win a revolution if they can't even win an election. Half the people don't even vote anyway. If so many people aren't even willing to go to the polls on Election Day, then how would they ever get behind a popular revolt? I'm not even sure that very many people would even have the stomach and the stamina for that kind of upheaval. Relatively speaking, we've had it pretty soft for the past half century or so, experiencing far less hardship than most other countries in the world have faced. We haven't had any military coups or wars fought on our soil, at least not in my lifetime.
So, even despite what people might say, I just don't see how it could amount to anything that could truly undermine our current form of government. The government would have to be severely weakened from within before any blowhard radicals or extremists could pose a threat. That could happen if more and more rigid ideologues get elected. That could make political compromises more and more difficult, leading to more gridlock and polarization, which could weaken the government from within.
Also, budgets are tightening, services are being cut, leaving more people out in the cold. People have grown so accustomed to having things provided for them that they've grown dependent upon it, no longer as self-reliant as we used to be. Some criticize Americans as "spoiled," but the problem is that if the Powers That Be no longer have the resources to keep spoiling the American people, then there will probably be one hell of a temper tantrum on that day. Just a few days without electricity can send any city into utter chaos. A few years ago, a burst pipeline caused most of the gasoline supplies for the city of Phoenix to be cut off for a week or two. Since the government is way past the point where they can even hope to update and fix our infrastructure, we're likely to see more and more breakdowns like that.
Of course, the solution is for people to toughen up, tighten their belts, and educate themselves better on the candidates and the electoral process. When a candidate promises a free lunch, the people should see through it, but they don't. I don't know why.
I only wish we had smarter voters.
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